


Shadows settle on the place that you left

by merlinfrostE



Series: Forgive my wayward soul [3]
Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 03:37:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15452526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlinfrostE/pseuds/merlinfrostE
Summary: When the chance finally came to take a sip the blonde relished in the burning feeling the wine left in the back of his throat. He could feel the warmth pooling in his stomach, stretching out to the very tips of his fingers and toes. It’s because of this feeling that Arthur doesn’t notice it right away, too lost in the feeling of losing himself to the liquid. It’s only when he hears a hacking cough that Arthur looks down into the distressed golden gaze and he suddenly realizes he can’t feel Merlin anymore.





	Shadows settle on the place that you left

Arthur could honestly say that he’d never been more board in his life than he was listening to King Bayard’s speech. The man just didn’t seem to shut up, his Irish Wolfhound daemon standing beside him looking so pleased to have all eyes upon them as he spoke. Glancing to the side found Morgana looking just as board as he felt, her eyes half closed and showing complete disinterest. Uther somehow looks wide awake while Adara nodded along silently from his shoulder. Thinking of daemons, Arthur gazes down at his feet where Merlin lay, eyes closed in the pretence of sleep but the Prince knew his other half was listening to every word. Still, his daemon may be listening but did that mean Arthur had too? If only he could have a sip of his wine, then maybe listening to the speech would be bearable. 

When the chance finally came to take a sip the blonde relished in the burning feeling the wine left in the back of his throat. He could feel the warmth pooling in his stomach, stretching out to the very tips of his fingers and toes. It’s because of this feeling that Arthur doesn’t notice it right away, too lost in the feeling of losing himself to the liquid. It’s only when he hears a hacking cough that Arthur looks down into the distressed golden gaze and he suddenly realizes he can’t feel Merlin anymore. Sure, their bond is stretched beyond record but they have always been able to feel each other so they aren’t separated. The sudden emptiness that floods Arthur’s body has the young man staggering where he stands as Merlin gives one last chocked cough before crashing to the floor. 

“Merlin!” In any other situation, Arthur would be mortified at how high his voice has gone, clearly broadcasting his fear for all to hear. However, seeing his daemon’s crumpled form along with the knowledge that he can’t feel the ever-present bond sends terror shooting straight to the young Prince’s core. 

“The goblet it poisoned! Guards seize them!” Uther’s enraged voice echoes somewhere behind Arthur followed closely by Adara’s screaming cry and the sharp sting of swords being drawn. He doesn’t care, he only has eyes for his other half.

“Merlin, can you hear me?” Gaius and Gelasia are suddenly beside them, the python having spoken up in the hopes of receiving a response. When none is given Arthur feels his heart sink.

“We need to get him back to my chambers.” Gaius declares, “I need two guards with large daemons to carry him.”

“No!” His voice comes out sharp as steel but Arthur still does not care. He leans down over the panther, arms slipping under Merlin’s upper chest and stomach. The human grunted under the weight of his animal half but stood proud and tall, refusing another to touch his daemon who did everything in his powers to avoid contact with anyone but Arthur. 

It felt like they’d only taken two steps before Arthur was gently laying Merlin down on a cot that was usually reserved for humans. Gaius was bustling about in the background with the goblet while Gwen rushed to get a pale of water to help bring Merlin’s fever down. The girl's daemon, Panex who was a light brown spring hare with a long black tail sat on the table beside Merlin yet didn’t dare try to touch him to which Arthur was grateful for. Right now the last thing the Prince wanted was someone else touching his daemon because even now with his hand resting behind Merlin’s ears he couldn’t feel their bond. 

“Arthur, where is my son?” Blue eyes flashed up as the King barged into the room, his eyes wild and filled with worry that was seldom shown. Quick as a flash, Adara swooped from Uther’s shoulder to perch beside Merlin, her eyes boring into the still form as if willing him to wake up. It was odd for Arthur to see her look so worried about Merlin, normally she gazed at him with contempt and loathing. 

“Arthur, are you alright?” Uther questioned urgently and for a moment the blonde just blinked at his father. When this just seemed to cause worry Arthur finally reached out to find his voice, “I’m fine father, but Merlin isn’t.”

“Gelasia, why is Merlin affected but his human half isn’t?” Adara called while never taking her eyes off of the panther lying motionless before her. The python hissed slightly while curling tighter around her person’s neck.

“We found a flower petal from the Mortaeus flower. The poison is a rare and unusual one.” The snake whispered while looking worriedly up at Gaius who nodded gravely.   
“What is it?” Uther asked seeing the looks the two were sharing. 

“The Mortaeus flower is special in that it only affects one half of a human daemon partnership. If the daemon half consumes the poison then the human is affected while if the human half consumes it then only the daemon is affected.” Gaius explained which sent a bolt of utter fury through Arthur’s very core. Someone had deliberately tried to poison Merlin. They hadn’t been targeting him but his soul which made this beyond personal. “This is why Arthur is perfectly fine…for now.”

That didn’t sound good at all. The words made the Prince’s skin crawl as icy fear made itself at home deep within his heart. “What happens if the antidote isn’t given?” Arthur found himself asking.

“When the human half is affected and they die their daemon turns to Dust as is the norm. Its what happens when the daemon is affected that things change and not for the better.” Gaius warned.

“What will happen to my son if his daemon turns to Dust?” Uther all but growled.

“He will become nothing but a shell, unable to feel any emotions. Most who suffer this fate no longer speak, refuse to move and eventually just waste away as they no longer have the drive to eat and drink.” The elderly man bowed his head as all those in the room shivered in utter horror. 

“Where would I find the antidote?” Arthur stood, determination filling his very being. 

“Those poisoned by the flower can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower. They grow on the roots of the Mortaeus tree and can only be found in caves deep in the forest of Balor.” Gaius said. “You must be careful Arthur, creatures are said to guard the cave and there could be other effects of the poison that we don’t know about that could affect you.”

To most, it was a perfectly sound warning but to Arthur, he could hear the hidden meaning behind the words. Merlin wouldn’t be with him meaning he would be able to protect Arthur with his magic. The Prince would be alone in this quest, truly alone. 

“Arthur cannot go, even if Merlin is affected and he is not the distance will still strain their bond,” Uther spoke up making Arthur blanch. His father and Gaius had no knowledge of their extended bond, had no idea that Merlin could go as far as he pleased. It took a moment of quick thinking to find a way for it to all work out.

“The bond isn't there anymore. When Merlin collapsed it disappeared so I don’t feel the pull to be by his side.” It was a mix of truths and hidden secrets that Arthur felt comfortable with saying. Uther and Adara just looked horrified while Gaius and Gelasia sent him a narrowed eyed look.

In the end, nothing would stop him from going out to find the cure needed for his other half. Arthur pushed the horse long and hard, knowing he should feel horrified by the empty space beside him yet with how often Merlin would vanish into the night Arthur found it strangely normal. Finding a crying woman in the middle of the woods wasn’t normal.  
Something about her made Arthur want to turn around and leave. Her face looked to frozen, her daemon who was a light brown weasel of some kind looked to fake as Merlin would say. But Arthur was a Knight, sworn to protect the innocent and defend the beaten so he approached her. Her actions continued to put him on edge. Her fear that melted away in a heartbeat left his hair standing on end, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Merlin warning him against entering the cave with the woman. When she revealed her true colours Arthur wanted nothing more than to run his sword right through her lying heart. His daemon was dying, his soul was fading away and here he hung unable to help. The flower was right there and he couldn’t reach it. 

Miles away inside the white walls of Camelot, Merlin tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep. Giaus and Gelasia watched on in worry. They had thankfully managed to send Gwen and Panex away to get fresh water when Merlin began to mumble words of the old religion. Now they watched as he muttered about Arthur, about traps and darkness. And then he began to chant, his golden eyes glowing even brighter under closed eyelids while a bright blue orb began to take shape. 

“What is he doing?” The elderly man gasped out while Gelasia hissed in excited fear.

“He’s helping Arthur.”

Baby blue eyes stared in wonder at the glowing orb that had come to light the way. He could feel the love, the fierce devotion and loyalty pouring out of it, could feel Merlin urging him to not give up. With newfound strength, the prince pulled himself onto the thin ledge, reached out for the flower and climbed out to safety away from hungry spiders. The orb stayed for just a moment, floating before Arthur in an almost familiar way. The Prince wondered how things would have turned out if Merlin didn’t have magic if Arthur didn’t have Merlin. Would he hate magic? Would Merlin still exist without magic? The thoughts were troubling but irrelevant in the long run so Arthur pushed them aside as he raced back to Camelot.

They sat alone in their room, the door locked tight allowing Merlin to switch between forms as often as he pleased. The golden eyes gazed up at Arthur from the face of a pure black wolf who’s muzzle was pressed flush against his neck. Long fangs rested teasingly on his jugular yet the human half felt no fear. There was complete and utter trust between them. 

“I thought I’d lost you.” Arthur finally whispered into the silence causing Merlin to huff in amusement. 

“I’m not leaving you just yet. We still have many things left to accomplish, many paths we still need to walk.” It was something Arthur had noticed a while ago. Since Merlin had started having his secret meetings with the dragon he’d begun to speak in a more cryptic way. Most of the time it annoyed him but tonight it soothed him.

“I like this form on you.” Blue met gold, both parties smiling knowingly. And then Merlin changed, becoming something he’d never been before. It was a form wrought with superstition and fear, a form that would often lead to death as it was believed to be cursed. Arthur gazed into golden eyes that shined playfully from a human face.

It was like looking into a mirror that showed the complete opposite. While Arthur was strongly built with fair hair and tanned skin Merlin was thin and lanky, his skin an alabaster white with raven black hair. With a flash of his eyes clothes appeared to cover his body, clothes that weren't the fine silks of royalty but the course ragged cloth of commoners. With a tentative hand, Arthur reached out, watching in wonder as Merlin did the same. Their hands made contact, fingers spread against one another to perfectly mirror the others hand. Then Merlin curled his long elegant fingers encouraging Arthur to do the same and they sat there holding onto one another. Merlin looked at Arthur worriedly as they both felt the rightness of the form, a form that would sooner have them both killed than praised.

“It’s the closest I’ve felt to settling,” Merlin muttered which had Arthur’s breath hitching. “I can still change though, I still feel the possibilities that I have.”

For a long time, it was silent, neither knowing what to say to the other. But in that silence Arthur began to think. While it was odd to see Merlin in a human body there was just something about it that felt so utterly right. Looking at his daemon the Price couldn’t understand why it was feared to have a human daemon. As a human, Merlin was beautiful and powerful, his strength hidden under the thin form he’d opted for. 

“When I’m king things will change.” He spoke up causing those golden eyes to widen in surprise. “When I’m king magic will run free through the streets, people will no longer live in fear and you can take whatever form you wish. You can be a snow leopard or a dragon or a human no matter what anyone says because I will be king.”

The surprise slowly melted away to be replaced by a warm loving look filled with pride and gratitude. They move at the same time, two separate bodies that are one unit and meet in a desperate embrace. Arthur squeezes as tight as he can while Merlin rests his head in the crook of his neck. They fall asleep like that and when Arthur wakes Merlin is sitting by the window as a tiny black dragon with red wing membranes. He could be a dragon when Arthur is king or he could be a snow leopard to mirror their mother. But if he chose to be human Arthur wouldn’t mind one bit because being human just seems so Merlin in the end.


End file.
